Cleveland Adds New Class I Rail Loop

The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority has hired the Great Lakes Construction Co. to build an on-dock rail loop at the Port of Cleveland. The US$3.9 million contract calls for constructing 5,500 feet of additional track.

The rail loop will connect existing on-dock tracks, providing two Class I railroads with access to the entire general cargo facility and enhancing rail-to-ship and ship-to-rail cargo handling capabilities, port authority officials said in a statement. The new loop is scheduled to be completed by the end of October 2012.

Cleveland saw a hefty increase in cargo tonnage last year. The port handled 3.4 million tons, an increase of 31 percent and the highest volume since 2008. Project cargo rose 16 percent in 2011.

Photo courtesy of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority.